Criterions to be region coded, to offer rebate for upgrade

[leonardodm]

Link to the FAQ

Are Criterion's Blu-ray discs region-encoded?

Yes. Criterion is licensed to sell most of its editions only in North America.

Why should I buy regular DVDs when I don't know if Criterion will release a Blu-ray version six months from now?

If you love these films, keep buying DVDs. It is going to be quite a while before the Blu-ray marketplace can support many of the titles Criterion releases on DVD. For new releases, if we think a title has a shot of succeeding on Blu-ray, we aim to put out both editions at the same time, so you can make an informed choice. Where classics from our catalog are concerned, to give you a little extra comfort we'll be offering a $20 Blu-ray upgrade program for customers who have already bought the equivalent edition on DVD. You send us the movie disc from your DVD edition, and for $20 (plus tax and shipping) we'll exchange it for the Blu-ray version, simple as that. For more on how this works, click here.*

What is the packaging going to look like?

Our Blu-ray packaging will be similar to our DVD packaging, only in the smaller Blu-ray size. As with DVDs, we'll use a range of paper and plastic packaging, and we'll bring the same care and attention to the design. Where we're upgrading an existing release, the design will match right down to the disc labels, so if you want to take advantage of the $20 Blu-ray upgrade program, your replacement disc will fit right into the design of your existing Criterion DVD edition. In the store, if you want to be sure you're buying the Blu-ray edition and not the standard-def DVD version, you'll know it by the smaller size and the blue Blu-ray sticker on the front.

Will there be spine numbers?

Spine numbers on our Blu-ray discs will match the existing DVD editions. Our Blu-ray releases represent a significant upgrade when it comes to audiovisual quality, and many of our customers will want to take advantage of that, but we're not starting over at number 1, and we're not expecting our longstanding DVD collectors to do so either. Where content is concerned, we aren't planning on publishing anything on our Blu-ray editions that won't also be available on DVD. Whether you collect only DVDs or only Blu-ray discs or a mix, it's all part of your Criterion collection—and they'll all line up in spine-number order.

What will Criterion Blu-ray discs cost?

Criterion's Blu-ray editions will generally be priced to match our DVDs. It makes sense to us: High-definition mastering and restoration has been a part of our DVD production standard for years. And for our customers who might be on the fence about whether to buy DVD or Blu-ray, we thought the best thing we could do was take price out of the equation.

*Rebate offer subject to change.

[project-blu]

wow, they're not redoing the spines. that means there's going to be huge gaps and some #'s never filled in, like how to get ahead in advertising, or killer. their disc exchange program sounds nice, but i can make more selling my dvd and buying the blu, than trading the blu and paying 20.

[leonardodm]

Originally Posted by n8boss87

wow, they're not redoing the spines. that means there's going to be huge gaps and some #'s never filled in, like how to get ahead in advertising, or killer. their disc exchange program sounds nice, but i can make more selling my dvd and buying the blu, than trading the blu and paying 20.

Agreed ! Easy, but not a steal IMO.

[project-blu]

yeah, plus how long will the turn around take? you'd be looking at getting titles later than 2 weeks after their release, due to transit time both ways and processing.

i may go whore and buy every criterion blu. i wanted to do this on dvd, but this will be a good starting point w/ no backlog of impossible titles

[krylonman]

Strange that they don't want you to turn in the case along with the DVD. Also a bummer about the region coding; all of their DVDs are 0, I believe. I guess they were allowed to pretend the NTSC/PAL thing was enough of an obstacle for people wanting to import.

[jurples]

it seems that this is just a disc-for-disc swap. they send you the disc in a sleeve, not with the blu-ray packaging.

We’ll mail the Blu-ray disc in a sleeve, and you'll be able to place the new disc in your existing packaging. This doesn't give you the new Blu-ray packaging, but it does give you an option if you want the Blu-ray version but don't want to buy the entire set again.

that sucks. i was gonna send them my copies of contempt and the 400 blows when the blu-rays came out, but I don't just want the disc - I want the blu-ray packaging too. besides, like someone said earlier, the deal's a rip-off. if their own store is selling them for $32, I'm sure sites like amazon, ddd, and dvd planet will have them for $24-26, which is what you'd pay them just to get the blu-ray in a sleeve ($20 + $5 shipping). i was hoping to avoid ebaying these discs, but they just don't make it worth it. if they did what the studios are doing ($10 back for the UPC codes), I'd totally do that -- although, considering that criterions at least double what most regular dvds cost, you'd think they'd give you back more than $10... i'd say at least $15. this is weak.

[diederik]

Region coded .... Just great

Oh well, no Criterion's for me then.

[Matt865]

Originally Posted by diederik

Region coded .... Just great

Oh well, no Criterion's for me then.

Same here... I would have genuinely loved to have their movies on BD. Ah well...

[leonardodm]

Originally Posted by Matt865

Same here... I would have genuinely loved to have their movies on BD. Ah well...

I kind of have the same frustration with european release since they are - selection wise - way better than region A.

I decided to purchase another player next time I hit Europe...hopefully they will be cheaper by the end of the year.

[ZebraMajor]

I think the gist of the disc swap may be that some of the Blu-ray versions will not be getting all the non-disc extras (booklets, novellas, etc.). With a disc swap you get to keep that stuff from the DVD edition and still get the disc upgrade. Isn't this true of The Man Who Fell To Earth, which included the novel? The description of the Blu-ray version doesn't include the novel.

[DCSholtis]

Originally Posted by diederik

Region coded .... Just great

Oh well, no Criterion's for me then.

Go on eBay, import an LG BH 200 Combo player. Go into the menu to switch around region codes. Problem solved.

[Morphine]

When is the first release coming?

[diederik]

Originally Posted by DCSholtis

Go on eBay, import an LG BH 200 Combo player. Go into the menu to switch around region codes. Problem solved.

Bit expensive solution though

[kghoops]

Originally Posted by leonardodm

What will Criterion Blu-ray discs cost?

Criterion's Blu-ray editions will generally be priced to match our DVDs. It makes sense to us: High-definition mastering and restoration has been a part of our DVD production standard for years. And for our customers who might be on the fence about whether to buy DVD or Blu-ray, we thought the best thing we could do was take price out of the equation.

*Rebate offer subject to change.

I'm surprised no one has commented about the pricing. The price matching to the DVD version will be sweet!

[Squozen]

How glad am I that I bought a Region A player?

Very glad, sir. Very glad.