ComboDisc
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300 in Toshiba HD DVD bundle drops DVD side
Here's an interesting one. Reportedly, the copy of 300 that comes bundled alongside the Bourne Identity in any of Toshiba's third-generation HD DVD players completely omits the DVD side found on the traditional combo disc. Granted, the content on the HD DVD side remains exactly the same, but since the vanilla DVD held exclusive audio commentary, it seems that this particular disc adds "its own exclusive picture-in-picture video commentary" to compensate.
A critical look at DVD / HD DVD combo discs
Riding on the coattails of the 51GB HD DVD announcement was the approval of the dual-layer DVD / HD DVD combo disc format. These combo discs have been a feature of a several releases, but the linked article provides a good analysis of serious challenges the format faces. The bottom line is this -- for almost everyone, one of those sides goes largely unused. If you have a HD DVD player, the DVD side will only see duty in secondary applications. And if you don't have a HD DVD player, that HD side isn't going to see any use at all. And with the format war, average consumers don't value future compatibility. This wouldn't be a significant issue if there were no additional cost associated with the combo disc. But there is, and that kills the deal. There's plenty more to the critique, so check out the link if you're inclined.EDIT: The 51GB HD DVD approval included the single sided combo format, not the dual-sided one currently used in several releases. - Thanks, Kevin!
Lionsgate to put two films on a dual-layer Blu-ray disc
Sure, manufacturers have been cramming vanilla DVD content onto high-definition discs for some time, but aside from a few nifty features, they haven't gone out of their way to truly take advantage of all that space. Lionsgate and Marvel Enterprises are looking to change all that, as the duo plans to loose Ultimate Avengers: The Movie and Ultimate Avengers 2 on a single 50GB Blu-ray disc. Each film will reside on its own separate side, but neither will purportedly include DVD versions for use in standard players. Additionally, the flick will contain "two featurettes, a gag reel, a trivia track, and a first look at upcoming movie Dr. Strange," and should hit store shelves on April 24th for $39.99. Now, how long before we start seeing full-fledged trilogies on a single disc?[Via TGDaily]
Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift to introduce HD DVD 30/9 quad combo disc
Sure we said we wouldn't post about Fast and the Furious anymore until it came out but we just can't help ourselves. One minor detail released about this movie amongst all the hoopla at CEDIA 2006 was that not only will it include advanced iHD HDi features, it will be the first movie to ship as a quad-layer combo disc. With a dual-layer HD DVD on one side and a dual-layer DVD on the other, this should enable HD DVD viewers to view extras without having to flip to the DVD side, as they did with previous 15/9 combo discs. In a good or bad sign, it still has a $39 MSRP in line with previous combo releases, so no price increase but it will still cost more than a standard HD DVD or Blu-ray disc. Univeral Studios Home Entertainment prez Craig Kornblau sounded positive about its prospects in reaching people outside the current 25,000 HD DVD-equipped households, but we're still not sure many people will bite given the price premium.[Thanks, Tyler]
