DTS Saving Private Ryan #3 bestseller at DVDEXPRESS!
Pete Calderwood
limited quantities. Looks like DTS finally has a hot seller on their
hands! :-)
Week ending: 11/5/99
1. Saving Private Ryan
2. Big Daddy
3. Saving Private Ryan (DTS)
4. The Thin Red Line
5. The Matrix
6. The Blair Witch Project
7. Arlington Road
8. The Mummy (1999): Collector’s Edition (Widescreen)
9. Patton
10. Pinocchio
11. The Full Monty
12. The Longest Day
13. Never Been Kissed
14. Stargate: Special Edition
15. The Wizard Of Oz
Bobby Henderson
news:38247eba...@news.giganews.com...
> Not bad for a movie that wasn't even available until 11/2, and only in
> limited quantities. Looks like DTS finally has a hot seller on their
> hands! :-)
>
> Week ending: 11/5/99
> 1. Saving Private Ryan
> 2. Big Daddy
> 3. Saving Private Ryan (DTS)
> 4. The Thin Red Line
> 5. The Matrix
This is exactly the kind of thing that is needed for more movies to be
released in DTS on DVD. Lots of bean counters at home video companies do
not care in the slightest about delivering the best possible product. They
want to put out a product that is going to make them money.
I've talked about this kind of thing before, in how some film distributors
will release multiple versions of a DVD movie. We've already been seeing it
even with the DVD format still being very young relatively speaking.
"Stargate" has been released twice now for instance. It doesn't really cost
all that much money to make multiple versions of a DVD movie. With sales
for the DTS version of "Saving Private Ryan" being good, that will show
other movie companies that they can make money off a DTS DVD release.
I do have to say I am pretty surprised the DTS version would be up there so
high on the list. It's not really far from the sales of the DD 5.1 version
of SPR, which tops the list. Pretty good.
P.S., now that Steven Spielberg knows people will eat up his movies on DVD,
he needs to get a similarly styled releases put out now for "Jurassic Park,"
"E.T.," and "Schindler's List" at the very least.
Bobby Henderson
Paul Gunther
Bobby Henderson <bob...@sirinet.net> wrote in message
news:s29331...@corp.supernews.com...
Agreed. I can't wait for Schindler's List. I hope that's one of Spielberg's
next DVD's, because it should be available to everyone in every format. A
DTS would be sweet, too.
mlma...@my-deja.com
"Bobby Henderson" <bob...@sirinet.net> wrote:
> Pete Calderwood <pe...@voicenet.com> wrote in message
> news:38247eba...@news.giganews.com...
> > Not bad for a movie that wasn't even available until 11/2, and only
in
> > limited quantities. Looks like DTS finally has a hot seller on
their
> > hands! :-)
> >
> > Week ending: 11/5/99
> > 1. Saving Private Ryan
> > 2. Big Daddy
> > 3. Saving Private Ryan (DTS)
> > 4. The Thin Red Line
> > 5. The Matrix
>
> This is exactly the kind of thing that is needed for more movies to be
> released in DTS on DVD. Lots of bean counters at home video companies
do
> not care in the slightest about delivering the best possible product.
They
> want to put out a product that is going to make them money.
Exactly the point I've been making for two years.
> I've talked about this kind of thing before, in how some film
distributors
> will release multiple versions of a DVD movie. We've already been
seeing it
> even with the DVD format still being very young relatively speaking.
> "Stargate" has been released twice now for instance. It doesn't
really cost
> all that much money to make multiple versions of a DVD movie. With
sales
> for the DTS version of "Saving Private Ryan" being good, that will
show
> other movie companies that they can make money off a DTS DVD release.
Yes, that's really important. The announced DTS/DD 5.1 DVDs are a two
edged sword:
1) They reduce costs for the publisher/distributor/retailer.
B) They remove the ability of the bean counters to see the benefit of
DTS.
> I do have to say I am pretty surprised the DTS version would be up
there so
> high on the list. It's not really far from the sales of the DD 5.1
version
> of SPR, which tops the list. Pretty good.
I wouldn't put too much hope on that sales position for a couple of
reasons:
1) I suspect that far more DTS fans use the internet than don't
B) DVDexpress didn't say how many of the DTS version they sold.
Videoscan's figures will be more accurate. If you're familiar with their
sales figures, you know how low the volume of the number three seller
can be. It will take some time (until the first of the year) before the
bean counters will really know.
> P.S., now that Steven Spielberg knows people will eat up his movies on
DVD,
> he needs to get a similarly styled releases put out now for "Jurassic
Park,"
> "E.T.," and "Schindler's List" at the very least.
We can only hope. I doubt that we will get them all very quickly,
though.
Matthew
--
Matthew L. Martin Thermodynamics for Dummies:
First Law: You can't win
Second Law: You can't break even
Third Law: You can't get out of the game
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Bobby Henderson
> Yes, that's really important. The announced DTS/DD 5.1 DVDs are a two
> edged sword:
>
> 1) They reduce costs for the publisher/distributor/retailer.
> B) They remove the ability of the bean counters to see the benefit of
> DTS.
The double edged sword could just as easily be applied to Dolby Digital in
the case of dual format discs. Dolby's marketing advantage over the years
has been one in that the public sees them as the only game in town. It is
not a bad thing at all, not in the slightest, for DTS to be on a single
inventory disc. Every store offering the title will be forced to provide
their customers a DTS track alongside the Dolby Digital track. Dolby has
had the advantage in that so many stores carry only Dolby Digital versions
and do not offer DTS versions for sale when they are available. Dolby's
exclusivity on the retail end won't be entirely absolute with dual format
discs.
> I wouldn't put too much hope on that sales position for a couple of
> reasons:
>
> 1) I suspect that far more DTS fans use the internet than don't
> B) DVDexpress didn't say how many of the DTS version they sold.
>
> Videoscan's figures will be more accurate. If you're familiar with their
> sales figures, you know how low the volume of the number three seller
> can be. It will take some time (until the first of the year) before the
> bean counters will really know.
I guess at the same time I could say DVD Express hasn't sold much of the
DD-version of "Saving Private Ryan" either if the DTS version is only two
notches down from it. The DTS SPR is ahead of some mainstream, non-niche
type product (such as Blair Witch, The Matrix and the Mummy). You may cite
Videoscan and other things to try to put whatever negative spin on it you
feel is appropriate. But it is a noteable thing nonetheless that the DTS
version would score so high on their sales list, especially given how the
DTS version was short stocked on titles.
Bobby Henderson
Thierry de Villeneuve
Sorry, just tried my fresh out from the mail DTS "Saving Private Ryan"
and to my greatest sadness I can't get the DTS track being decoded. I
only can get the Prologic to work.
I've a Panasonic A-110 player coupled to a Pioneer VSX-808RDS (European
version of the Us 806 that is MPEG2 audio and RDS capable).
I've never had problems decoding DTS from LaserDiscs (Pioneer CLD-905
PAL/NTSC digital model for Europe) nor even to read DTS audio CDs.
"Saving Private Ryan" is my first DTS DVD.
I'm very sad. Is my Panasonic A-110 not able to get the DTS track out or
there are bugs on this DVD.
Anyone got a similar unfortunate bad experience?
Any feed-back before I return the DVD back for a trade-in on the AC-3 version?
Thanks,
Thierry
San Diego
Pete Calderwood wrote:
>
> Not bad for a movie that wasn't even available until 11/2, and only in
> limited quantities. Looks like DTS finally has a hot seller on their
> hands! :-)
>
> Week ending: 11/5/99
> 1. Saving Private Ryan
> 2. Big Daddy
> 3. Saving Private Ryan (DTS)
> 4. The Thin Red Line
> 5. The Matrix
> 6. The Blair Witch Project
> 7. Arlington Road
> 8. The Mummy (1999): Collector’s Edition (Widescreen)
> 9. Patton
> 10. Pinocchio
> 11. The Full Monty
> 12. The Longest Day
> 13. Never Been Kissed
> 14. Stargate: Special Edition
> 15. The Wizard Of Oz
--
=== eom =============================================================
Thierry de Villeneuve San Diego, CA 92128
mailto:thie...@abac.com http://www.tvnshack.com/
mlma...@my-deja.com
"Bobby Henderson" <bob...@sirinet.net> wrote:
> <mlma...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:806iv9$te9$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
>
> > Yes, that's really important. The announced DTS/DD 5.1 DVDs are a
two
> > edged sword:
> >
> > 1) They reduce costs for the publisher/distributor/retailer.
> > B) They remove the ability of the bean counters to see the benefit
of
> > DTS.
>
> The double edged sword could just as easily be applied to Dolby
Digital in
> the case of dual format discs.
Not really, the DD track is going to be there anyway, the DTS track is
still an option.
> Dolby's marketing advantage over the years
> has been one in that the public sees them as the only game in town.
It is
> not a bad thing at all, not in the slightest, for DTS to be on a
single
> inventory disc. Every store offering the title will be forced to
provide
> their customers a DTS track alongside the Dolby Digital track. Dolby
has
> had the advantage in that so many stores carry only Dolby Digital
versions
> and do not offer DTS versions for sale when they are available.
Dolby's
> exclusivity on the retail end won't be entirely absolute with dual
format
> discs.
I absolutely agree.
I'm not trying to put a negative spin on the ranking. I'm just skeptical
about the signifigance of a short term report. After the holidays, the
bean counters will have real numbers (something that we are unlikely to
see) to use for planning. It could be that sales of the DTS version will
climb relative to DD as the season progresses. They could also drop off
or stay the same. My point is simply that DVDexpress' ranking is too
small a sample over too short a time to make any predictions.
Paul Dragon
>
>"Saving Private Ryan" is my first DTS DVD.
>
>I'm very sad. Is my Panasonic A-110 not able to get the DTS track out or
>there are bugs on this DVD.
The A-110 works fine with SPR, it must be a problem with your decoder. You
can also make sure you have the DTS output in the 110 turned on in setup.
Bobby Henderson
news:3827DE68...@abac.com...
> Guys
>
> Sorry, just tried my fresh out from the mail DTS "Saving Private Ryan"
> and to my greatest sadness I can't get the DTS track being decoded. I
> only can get the Prologic to work.
Check your DVD player setup. Make sure DTS Digital Out is turned on. By
default, the vast majority of all DVD players with DTS output leave the
factory with DTS bitstream output turned off. Also, you might want to check
and make sure your Dolby Digital output is set to full 5.1 bitstream out.
DVD manufacturers normally set DD 5.1 output to "downmix" so you only get
two channel sound no matter what.
Bobby Henderson
Bobby Henderson
<mlma...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:80964j$qdh$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> > The double edged sword could just as easily be applied to Dolby
> Digital in
> > the case of dual format discs.
>
> Not really, the DD track is going to be there anyway, the DTS track is
> still an option.
An option anyone curious about DTS can feel free to use. The biggest
disadvantage with DTS DVDs is that so few stores carry them and even fewer
offer them for rent. With a single inventory title carrying both DD and
DTS, anyone who is curious can go rent a disc and easily try it out. With
single inventory titles DTS become much more accesible to anyone getting
into home theater. Couple that with virtually every new DVD player model
and 5.1 decoding receiver offering DTS. It's a lot easier to get DTS than
it used to be. And there's where my point is regarding the double edged
sword affecting Dolby. The main thing helping Dolby all these years is name
brand recognition. For two decades, people have seen the Dolby Stereo logo
creep up credit rolls on movies. They've seen the name on their tape decks.
Now, DTS' logo is all over the place too. More and more people will be
recognizing DTS' logo.
Here is one thing that I see as a negative for Dolby's marketing and image.
This is something they really need to work to correct. Dolby Digital is
everywhere, but it is also getting a generic tinge to it. I've noticed how
lots of DVDs simply refer to their audio tracks as "5.1 Digital Surround".
It is particularly noticeable with the two different versions of "Saving
Private Ryan." On the Dolby Digital version, the audio menu offers "5.1
Digital Surround" and "Dolby Surround 2.0" as audio choices. And they don't
even use the logos either. The DTS version hits you with the audio choice
menu upon inserting the disc (funny thing, is logos are used there for both
DTS and Dolby Surround). If you select DTS, the Dreamworks logo plays in
full 1.5kb DTS followed by the DTS Digital Surround trailer. The DTS
Digital Surround logo is placed prominently on the main menu for the film.
The Amary case has the DTS Digital Surround banner on it. I can't think of
too many Dolby Digital DVDs where the Dolby Digital logo was listed
prominently. Hardly any attempt is made to promote. Very few DVD movies
carry a Dolby Digital theatrical trailer (which I think really sucks,
considering there are so many Dolby Digital trailers).
There may not be anywhere near as many DTS DVDs as there are Dolby Digital
DVDs. But one thing I can say is DTS is heavily promoted on those discs
that carry it. The home video companies do little, if anything at all to
promote Dolby Digital as a format on their discs. And I have to criticise
that especially with all the consumer confusion about the many channel
layouts occuring on DVD. They see a little tiny DD logo on the back on the
case and assume they're going to get 5.1 (provided they understand the
concept of it in the first place).
> > You may cite Videoscan and other things to try
> > to put whatever negative spin on it you
> > feel is appropriate. But it is a noteable thing
> > nonetheless that the DTS
> > version would score so high on their sales list,
> > especially given how the DTS version was short
> > stocked on titles.
>
> I'm not trying to put a negative spin on the ranking. I'm just skeptical
> about the signifigance of a short term report. After the holidays, the
> bean counters will have real numbers (something that we are unlikely to
> see) to use for planning. It could be that sales of the DTS version will
> climb relative to DD as the season progresses. They could also drop off
> or stay the same. My point is simply that DVDexpress' ranking is too
> small a sample over too short a time to make any predictions.
Yes, but what you are doing is speculating on what may or may not happen.
For the time being, the DTS version of "Saving Private Ryan" is one of DVD
Express' top sellers.
Bobby Henderson
Sammy
> Sorry, just tried my fresh out from the mail DTS "Saving Private Ryan"
> and to my greatest sadness I can't get the DTS track being decoded. I
> only can get the Prologic to work.
>
> I've a Panasonic A-110 player coupled to a Pioneer VSX-808RDS (European
> version of the Us 806 that is MPEG2 audio and RDS capable).
Read the manual!!!!! There is nothing wrong with your A110. Enable the
friggin' DTS bitsteam. I don't have my A110 anymore, but I think it's
the action button on the remote to get to the menu. Don't have a disc in
or make sure you've hit stop at least twice, then you can access the
setup menu. This assumes your receiver is DTS capable.
Craig Wiernik
<mlma...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:806iv9$te9$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> In article <s29331...@corp.supernews.com>,
> "Bobby Henderson" <bob...@sirinet.net> wrote:
> > Pete Calderwood <pe...@voicenet.com> wrote in message
> > news:38247eba...@news.giganews.com
>
> B) DVDexpress didn't say how many of the DTS version they sold.
>
> Videoscan's figures will be more accurate. If you're familiar with their
> sales figures, you know how low the volume of the number three seller
> can be. It will take some time (until the first of the year) before the
> bean counters will really know.
This is incorrect. Videoscan does not track internet sales, as we learned
when all the numbers for The Matrix started to come out.
I would bet that over 50% of all DVD purchases occur over the internet...
craig
mlma...@my-deja.com
"Bobby Henderson" <bob...@sirinet.net> wrote:
Thanks for a good analysis of the current situation vis-a-vis
multi-channel audio marketing on DVD.
Just one thing, though. Don't you think that it would be useful for DTS
to promote itself a bit more off it's discs? It seems that major
promotion on the disc is preaching to the choir.
mlma...@my-deja.com
"Craig Wiernik" <csw1.a...@globalfrontiers.com.nospam> wrote:
>
> <mlma...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:806iv9$te9$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> > "Bobby Henderson" <bob...@sirinet.net> wrote:
> > > Pete Calderwood <pe...@voicenet.com> wrote in message
> > > news:38247eba...@news.giganews.com
> >
> > 1) I suspect that far more DTS fans use the internet than don't
> > B) DVDexpress didn't say how many of the DTS version they sold.
> >
> > Videoscan's figures will be more accurate. If you're familiar with
their
> > sales figures, you know how low the volume of the number three
seller
> > can be. It will take some time (until the first of the year) before
the
> > bean counters will really know.
>
> This is incorrect.
I don't think so.
> Videoscan does not track internet sales, as we learned
> when all the numbers for The Matrix started to come out.
Videoscan also doesn't track sales at WalMart. What they do track is
~50% of all sales. DVDexpress may well be the largest etailer of DVDs
but I doubt that they have more than 10% of the total market. Do you
have figures that show that they have a larger share?
> I would bet that over 50% of all DVD purchases occur over the
internet...
Even if that were true, it doesn't say that DVDexpress' sales are
completely representative. I'll put a lot more credence in the results
of a larger sample, Videoscan's. Don't assume that I'm being anti-DTS
here. I'm simply skeptical of a small, specialized sample being
extrapolated to represent the whole market.
joesm...@my-deja.com
Matthew can't conceive of being incorrect about anything. He is a
hypocrite. I'm sure he will find a way to "twist" or "spin" his original
comment for your reply, so beware.
--joe
>In article <hz_V3.213$R3....@news-srv1.fmr.com>,
> "Craig Wiernik" <csw1.a...@globalfrontiers.com.nospam> wrote:
>
> <mlma...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:806iv9$te9$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> > In article <s29331...@corp.supernews.com>,
> > "Bobby Henderson" <bob...@sirinet.net> wrote:
> > > Pete Calderwood <pe...@voicenet.com> wrote in message
> > > news:38247eba...@news.giganews.com
> >
> > 1) I suspect that far more DTS fans use the internet than don't
> > B) DVDexpress didn't say how many of the DTS version they sold.
> >
> > Videoscan's figures will be more accurate. If you're familiar with
their
> > sales figures, you know how low the volume of the number three
seller
> > can be. It will take some time (until the first of the year) before
the
> > bean counters will really know.
>
> This is incorrect. Videoscan does not track internet sales, as we
learned
> when all the numbers for The Matrix started to come out.
>
> I would bet that over 50% of all DVD purchases occur over the
internet...
>
> craig
Bobby Henderson
> In article <s2hg0i...@corp.supernews.com>,
> "Bobby Henderson" <bob...@sirinet.net> wrote:
>
> Thanks for a good analysis of the current situation vis-a-vis
> multi-channel audio marketing on DVD.
>
> Just one thing, though. Don't you think that it would be useful for DTS
> to promote itself a bit more off it's discs? It seems that major
> promotion on the disc is preaching to the choir.
Actually, that is something the home video companies are doing. It is their
call on whether or not to make the DTS logo highly prominent on their
package design and menu content. There are cases where DTS is given a
low-key notice, such as the general release packaging for "Eagles: Hell
Freezes Over" and the DTS Laserdisc release of "Titanic". DTS has placed
full page ads in a number of home theater and audio magazines over the
years. It would likely cost them a fortune to place ads in mainstream
entertainment magazines. Dolby used to do much more to promote themselves.
I have back issues of Premiere Magazine from the 1980's where Dolby placed
full page ads showing Best Sound Oscar winning films and how they were all
recorded and released in Dolby Stereo.
Dolby hasn't placed any ads in mainstream movie magazines like that in
years. Dolby is doing a good thing by making a good number of movie
trailers. It is just too bad hardly any DVDs offer them as a little extra
tid-bit on their content. These trailers wouldn't take up very much space
on a DVD. DTS DVDs are pretty good about getting the flying disc logo put
on the DVD. Maybe they should do this for DD 5.1/DTS 5.1 single inventory
DVDs. When you choose your audio format, you should either see a DTS or
Dolby Digital trailer. That would be pretty cool. They could even use
Dolby's DD-EX "Rain" trailer and the new "Sonic Landscape" DTS trailer,
which uses a black Yamaha grand piano as the focal point. It would seem
like a fair thing to do.
Bobby Henderson