Region Encoding, A Matter of International Security?

Up until now, Region Encoded discs had become something that a lot of cinephiles had simply come to terms with, and in the event that you wanted to play a foreign film you would need to upgrade to a DVD player that was region free. The same is true for Sony's HD format, Blu-ray. However, for HD DVD fans out there and those of you looking to adopt one format or the other, HD DVD's unsung feature just might be the deciding factor in this format war in more ways than one. But first, a word about region encoding.

For many people the term Region Encoding, or Region Locking, means nothing. It is merely another term that is disregarded due to the apparent lack of relevancy to their daily lives. However, little do they know that if they were to purchase a DVD in a foreign country while on vacation, when they return home to enjoy their rare import... it simply won't play. The disc isn't recognized. Why is this? What's happening? Is the DVD broken, or is there something wrong with my DVD player?

A quick stint on the internet and you'll quickly find the answers to these questions and the world of "price locking" will become all too clear in a matter of seconds.

Essentially the world is divided up into sections, or "regions", and as a result we are left with Regions 0-8, where only 0-6 apply to the consumer market.

Traditionally purchasing a DVD, or videogame, outside of your region will yield nothing more than a pretty little coaster for your coffee table, and the constant reminder that the world is a cruel dark place when all you want to do is enjoy your Brasilian special edition copy of "Cidade de Deus."

However, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Unbeknownst to the majority of HD fans worldwide, there is an alternative, and unfortunately for the Blu-ray fans out there, you won't be enjoying the world of unlocked HD content for some time, if ever. But, for those of you that own an HD DVD player, whether it be the Xbox 360 Add-on, or the XA2, every HD DVD player on the market today will allow you the opportunity to enjoy any number of foreign imports, whether they are from France, Spain, Japan, or the UK.

At this point you might be thinking there's no real difference. They're more likely than not the same titles, only they'll end up being released at different times. Well, here's where you're wrong. There's a hell of a reason to start importing HD DVD's. Through the miracle of region free HD DVD's and through a number of production/distribution agreements the movies you're eyeing on Blu-ray might be coming your way on foreign HD DVD, if they're not out already.

Not only does the region free aspect of HD DVD allow the HD DVD user to effectively circumvent Blu-ray exclusivity on a number of titles, but it allows the user to purchase films on HD DVD that have yet to be release, or even announced here in the US!

For example, "Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire" has been out in the UK for some time now and has enjoyed an incredible success through its sales on www.amazon.co.uk. Also, the series "Band of Brothers" which has been rumored to be released here in the US for some time now is seeing its HD DVD debut over in Japan this July. All of the volumes are available for pre-order through www.amazon.jp or you can access them all here.

Also it is definitely worth noting that the first ever THX Certified HD DVD which had a grandiose premiere at this years Cannes Film Festival, will be none other than the acclaimed and Academy Award winning film by Guillermo Del Toro, "Pans Labyrinth." It is a part of a French collector's edition, and although it is currently not sold separately, the collectors edition seems to be worth every cent, especially for all of the die-hard "Pan's Labyrinth" fans. You can pre-order it directly from here. It is scheduled to be released on July 3rd.

As for the titles that are available overseas that would only otherwise be purchasable here on Blu-ray are as follows: "Terminator 2: Judgement Day", "Total Recall", "The Prestige", "Ghost Rider", "Equilibrium", "Rambo: First Blood", "Rambo: First Blood Part II", "Rambo 3", "The Brothers Grimm" and "Reign of Fire."

Also in a surprising move, we're likely to see the first Disney produced title on HD DVD within the next couple of months. "The Bridge to Terabithia" will be seeing it's high def debut in Spain, though its release date has yet to be confirmed. While of course it's not Disney who is directly supporting HD DVD through the release of this high profile title, it's certainly a big deal for HD DVD owners out there who simply can't bear the thought of having an HD format with no Disney titles. However, it is important to note that this is a far cry from an admittance on the behalves of Disney or Buena Vista's regarding their support or intention to serve up films on both formats. With all things considered however, it is without a doubt a step in the right direction towards format neutrality.

Regardless of the significance of Terabithia's presence on HD DVD, we will surely be keeping you up to date on any further developments. Until then why not snap up a few foreign HD DVD's and enjoy the glory that is region free encoded media.

(Note: HD DVD Players are not region free players for DVD's, only HD DVD discs.)

Blockbuster Blu-ray Exclusive Support... Think Again, Think For Yourself.

Since the moment the PS3 was released Sony has been heralding their Blu-ray Trojan Horse as an enormous success through its utilization of their patented Blu-ray technology, and it has enjoyed a relatively decent success as the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market. It is nearly impossible to determine whether or not the sales of the PS3 can be attributed to the inclusion of the Blu-ray technology or the simple fact of it being the successor to the incredibly successful PS2.

While trying to determine whether or not the percentage of Blu-ray related PS3 sales are substantial enough to warrant a cause for alarm amongst the HD DVD owners might prove to be futile, there are a certain number of facts that cannot be ignored.

Blu-ray is leading Blockbuster HD rentals with 70% of the market, and HD DVD holding only 30%.

At first glance these numbers can certainly seem daunting, enough for the most die-hard HD DVD fan boy to start second guessing his decision to support the "underdog" format, HD DVD. If you also couple these rental figures with the recent news from Blockbuster to support Blu-ray exclusively throughout their stores this would surely send chills down the spines of the HD DVD crowd.

However, this feeling is not a new sensation, as anyone who is closely following the dramatic unfolding of events that comprise this intense format war will quickly tell you. Both sides have been dealt "killing blows" which have truly amounted to nothing in particular, at least nothing that would tip the scale either way.

Some would ask me, "How can you possibly ignore the fact that Blockbuster, one of the biggest video rental chains is supporting Blu-ray exclusively now?" My answer is simple. Dismantle the Sony "Press Monster" that is force feeding you useless and irrelevant information.

What does this mean exactly? Well, it's quite simple really. Do not, for one second trust anything that they say in regards to their "victories." And while you're at it, you should do the same for the HD DVD Promotional Group as well. Essentially you need to be able to think for yourself and question the source of the information that is coming to you. Read between the lines.

Example: "Casino Royale is the highest selling HD title to date with 100,000 units shipped" (Sony)

This was a disheartening statement back when it was released a couple of months ago. However, this is only true at first glance. Many people on forums worldwide were quick to point out that it clearly says "shipped" and not "sold." Are you starting to get the idea? These marketing genuises at the respective companies are excellent at spinning the truth to benefit their own formats in the hopes of further driving up sales.

Here's the official reality check on the 100,000 "sold" benchmark. "The Departed" which was released on both formats through Warner Bros. was the first HD title to sell over a 100,000 units, with the ratio slightly skewed in favor of Blu-ray.

The important thing to note is that, regardless of what Sony fans will tell you, the HD DVD Promotional Group is far more accountable when it comes to their press releases. To the best of my ability I have been unable to find any discrepancy between their press releases and the facts abound.

Now, back to the Blockbuster fiasco. Here are the facts. Blu-ray will be carried exclusively by Blockbuster, however the stores that will carry Blu-ray exclusively only account for a fourth of the total stores throughout the country. Also, HD DVD will be offered along with Blu-ray on their online rental service, so there is no need to fear Blockbuster abandoning HD DVD at this time. According to the person in charge of this decision he is making this decision based on the Blu-ray rental success throughout Quarter 1 and 2 of this year. He has gone so far as to say that consumers are sending him a message that he cannot ignore.

Now, here is what I think of all this. 1) With only a quarter of the stores supporting Blu-ray exclusively this is hardly the deathblow that Sony hopes it will be. 2) With the support of HD DVD continuing through Blockbuster's online rental service there should be no reason to think that Blockbuster is writing off HD DVD. It would make much more sense to approach the entire situation from a sheer economic standpoint. Blockbuster has to pay far more to stock both formats in-store than simply stocking one format, and since Blu-ray was having more rental success (at least in Blockbuster) it was the obvious choice for Blockbuster in order to save money. The cost to stock and offer both formats online is virtually nothing so they are not at a loss online and can afford to support both. 3) I believe that the reason for the increase in Blu-ray rentals over HD DVD is due to combination of factors. While this is solely my opinion, I ask you to bear with me as I have tried to approach the topic in a neutral manner. I believe that due to the overwhelming amount of Blu-ray "owners" thanks to the baked-in Blu-ray drives in the PS3, there are a large number of "casual owners." Essentially people who are interested to see what Blu-ray is capable of and are naturally seeking to test out the otherwise unexplored capabilities of their hardware. Simultaneously, while Blu-ray was churning out twice or even three times the amount of releases of HD DVD through the first and second quarter of '07, HD DVD also suffered from a lack of high profile exclusive releases. This is not true for Blu-ray with the incredible success of "Casino Royale", "The Departed", "The Prestige" and both of the Pirates films. Now, I don't have access to the rental records for either format, but I am willing to bet that these titles, among others that were blu-ray exclusive drove the format to enjoy a great deal of success through Blockbuster's HD trial run, through their limited support of both formats for the past six months. Now, when you combine these two factors, the sheer number of available and hungry Blu-ray players, and the high volume of high profile and exclusive releases, it makes perfect sense for Blu-ray to surpass HD DVD in rentals. However, I can't help but attribute this marginal success by Blu-ray to circumstance. I don't know how someone could see it any other way after carefully considering all of the possible angles.

Outside of the whole Blockbuster dilemma, there are a large number of video rental services that have yet to voice their support of either format, or pledge their exclusivity, and this should comfort any early adopter. There is no doubt about it, renting the next gen discs is the best, and most conservative way to enjoy the HD formats in the event that one format should fall victim to the Betamax fate, it's just unfortunate that Blockbuster was so quick to remove HD DVD from it's walk-in stores, but rest assured HD DVD fans can surely take comfort in the fact that there will always be a number of ways to get their HD fix.

A Brief Introduction...

So, you're considering jumping into the HD Format War. You don't quite fancy yourself an early adopter. No, that's all too risky. You're the type of person who wants assurance before buying into anything, correct? I'm assuming the answer is yes if you've yet to buy into either next gen format.

There is a lot of information out there, surely enough to dissuade your typical consumer who just wants to enjoy the benefits of pure HD content without the headache and potential financial kick in the nuts following the demise of a defunct and incompatible next gen format.

Who will it be? HD DVD or Blu-ray? Which has a higher capacity? What does 1080p mean? Who has the most studio support? What about the actual HD content, who offers the most films? Are either formats region encoded?

These questions, and many more will be answered throughout this blog. If you ever have any questions feel free to comment here and I will address them as quickly as possible.

My goal is to be as unbiased as possible in my presentation of HD DVD news. We are far from a victory for either side, and in the end it all may prove to be a stalemate. Who knows what tomorrow will hold for either format, but until there is a definitive answer to the pressing question all we can do is sit back and enjoy the ride.