Roller Coasters in the RAW on Blu-Ray Question

[robbalvey]

Hey everyone,

 

I have a question for you. Please read the following, vote in the poll, and post your comments. Your comments are VERY IMPORTANT to me! I want to know why you voted for the chocie you did.

 

I have been considering doing a very limited run of the DVD versions Roller Coasters in the RAW Volume 1 - 5 on Blu-Ray. Here's some details before you vote...

 

- The original source for most of these DVDs are standard definition, which means on the Blu-Ray version it would still be Standard Def, not High Def.

- BUT...the quality would be improved since on the Blu-Ray there is less compression, and the image looks closer to the original source, than the DVD compression.

- Up-resing the video is not an option. Roller Coaster POVs have just too much detail in them for upresing to HD. I've tested it, and it looks terrible.

- I would sell each Blu-Ray for $19.99 each or a special 5-Disc version with all volumes included for $75.

 

Here are screen shots of what a wooden coaster looks ilke on the DVD versus the Blu-Ray. Keep in mind this is a "worst case" screen grab I took from the DVD to show how much improved the worst looking sections of the compressed DVD would look versus the Blu-Ray versions.

 

Please only vote if you are SERIOUSLY INTERESTED and would ACTUALLY BUY this Blu-Ray Product. Thank you!

 

--Robb

 

Here is the DVD quality version. Note the jagged edges around the wooden track, and other artifacting:

 

Here is the Blu-Ray version. Note far less artifacting on the track and the rest of the image, but it's still Standard Def, so it's never going to look as amazing as HD:

 

Please vote in the poll! Thank you!

 

--Robb

Edited January 24, 2011 by robbalvey

[DJeXeL]

Like you said, it's not true HD but still a noticeable difference especially on larger screens. I'd say go for it.

[Emiroo]

I'm interested in the 5 disc set, but the $75 price has me on the fence; especially since the material itself is not new. Any chance to push it to $60? I'd probably bite then.

[robbalvey]

I'm interested in the 5 disc set, but the $75 price has me on the fence; especially since the material itself is not new. Any chance to push it to $60? I'd probably bite then.

At $60 that's the cost of the 5 normal DVDs. $60 wouldn't be worth my time and effort producing the Blu-Rays. It's not just as easy as pressing another button and re-outputting it and buring a Blu-Ray instead of a DVD. I'm looking at having to completely re-author 5 (really 10) DVDs onto Blu-Rays. It's a lot of work... And I can't afford to do it for $60, sorry!

 

--Robb

Edited January 20, 2011 by robbalvey

[A.J.]

I don't have a Blu-Ray player. I have an Apple TV and I stream everything, usually streaming movies from my Mac. I would much rather have a higher-definition download than a Blu-Ray Disc.

[robbalvey]

^ I hear you. But I think you're in the minority. Digital Downloads are still our lowest selling product and if I do one at higher quality, I really have to do all of them, and realistically I would have to offer BOTH a lower quality and a higher quality version. And right now, we have about 30 videos on digital download. That would mean having to manage 60 different downloadable files, the storage space for those, and the bandwidth changes they create. I'd have to raise the price of them to do it.

 

I'm not convinced people would be willing to spend abother $3 - $5 for a slightly higher quality download. Remember, the source isn't in HD, it's on DVD. And even the last round I did (Raw 5 and CE 14), I bumped up the bit rate a little bit and I think those already look really good watching on a TV!

 

--Robb

[vuurvogel]

I say, I will buy them.

 

Even if the footage is not shot in high definition, it does not mean it is poor quality. And if you have the original shots and really redo the whole thing on blu-ray trhe quality would be better. I must say I rewatch my RAW blu-ray twice as much as the normal raw dvd's.

 

But I will go for the whole set for $75, I will not buy them single because I allready have the raw dvd's and then the price will be to high for me.

 

Advise to all, If you do not have the RAW dvd's. BUY THEM, now is your change to get them in very good quality!!!

 

 

P.S. I think I will give the dvd's to my mom, she loves them and does not have a Blu-ray player. Actually I gave her the dvd player as well

[A.J.]

^^ Oh, sure. My Mac drive only takes DVDs, so I'm automatically satisfied with DVD quality no matter what!

[MaBi]

Hi Robb,

I think Blu-Ray is a good thing and I love what you are doing.

I have all Raw DVDs and all your other DVDs and will buy the Blu-Rays too.

 

I wished you could bring out a Real-3D-Blu-Ray in the future.

Panasonic has a cheap (1000 Euro in Germany) 3D Camera.

[sspaz1000]

If I had a Blu-Ray player I would be interested in at least one of them.

[robbalvey]

^^ There is no way we can do anything HD and 3D any time soon, sorry. There just is not the support out there for it yet. If I here's trying to drum up support for just a normal blu-ray release, and so far it seems lackluster, the idea of 3-D Blu-Ray is not even something I'm thinking about.

[Guy T. Koepp]

Hey Robb. I love the image resolution upgrade, but as I already own the set on DVD, I wouldn't see myself purchasing this set anytime in the close future. (Unless I win the lotto.) However, as you start pressing all New footage on BR, you can guarantee I will purchase those.

 

Hope my input helps.

[MaBi]

^^ There is no way we can do anything HD and 3D any time soon, sorry. There just is not the support out there for it yet. If I here's trying to drum up support for just a normal blu-ray release, and so far it seems lackluster, the idea of 3-D Blu-Ray is not even something I'm thinking about.

 

It's OK Robb,

in Europe is actually the 3D boom and everyone who buys a new TV buys a 3D one. GB and Germany have also 3D-Pay-TV too and I have a lot of 3D Blu-Rays, like Avatar and Disney’s Alice in Wonderland.

[robbalvey]

^ We have that too, but the "boom" is not really mainstream. It's out there, people are buying it, but it's one thing if you're Avatar or Alice in Wonderland, one of the top grossing films of the year, it's another thing when you're Roller Coasters in the RAW on a very limited budget and a jump to 3D would cost you no less than about $3,500 in development for a handful of people who would buy the disc.

 

We just had our best year ever selling DVDs and they outsold the Blu-Ray disc 50 to 1. When those numbers get closer together, we'll start to research something beyond Blu-Ray.

 

Quite honestly, the next thing I would look into is other options for digital downloads versus HD 3D.

 

--Robb

[Rydel]

I would probably buy the volumes I haven't already seen, which I think would be two or three of them. $20 seems like a fair price too.

 

I don't have a Blu-Ray player. I have an Apple TV and I stream everything, usually streaming movies from my Mac. I would much rather have a higher-definition download than a Blu-Ray Disc.

 

I also primarily watch movies through my Apple TV and HD downloads would be awesome!

[DJeXeL]

^I have an Apple TV and love it but it only streams 720P

[mudvayneimn]

I would purchase them if you did sell them!

 

Now if the demand isn't there, what you might be able to do is with future Raw blu-ray releases, you could include chunks of the upscaled standard def videos. I believe you had stated it would be a while before the next Raw blu-ray release anyway because it was taking a while to build up enough footage for a full release, this could be away to "fill up" the slots a little quicker. That might help in getting blu ray releases out much sooner than say 6-8 months. Either way, I'm hooked on blu-ray now and I'll be a customer of your products for a very long time lol.

Edited January 21, 2011 by mudvayneimn

[robbalvey]

what you might be able to do is with future Raw blu-ray releases, you could include chunks of the upscaled standard def videos.

Did you read what I wrote? Upscaling the SD footage to HD looks terrible for roller coaster POVs. I've done many tests with this, and it just doesn't work.

 

And I'm not about to re-release the SD footage on a "Roller Coasters in the RAW HD" release, because that footage isn't in HD.

 

I believe you had stated it would be a while before the next Raw blu-ray release anyway because it was taking a while to build up enough footage for a full release, this could be away to "fill up" the slots a little quicker. That might help in getting blu ray releases out much sooner than say 6-8 months.

To be totally honest, I'm much more of a "quality over quantity" type of person. If it takes me longer to make something that's higher quality, I'm going to do it. I don't expect there to be another full HD Blu-Ray out until at least the end of 2011, and that is all based on how much footage I can get this year.

 

I don't want a Blu-Ray release full of "filler" and I don't think anyone else does either.

 

--Robb "Thank you for the feedback!" Alvey

[Roachman]

I would get these for the quality bump and to just have the whole set on blu-ray. If you do end up doing these, count me in!

[mudvayneimn]

I knew I shouldn't have phrased that the way I did (upscaling should have been "quality bump" which is infinitely better word usage), which either way the rest of your response makes the point moot.

 

Still I would buy this though. I would go for the full set vs. the single copies personally.

[Erik Johnson]

It is certainly something that I would be interested in.

[la2lvtom]

Speaking on part of one the first people to purchase the BLU RAY disc you offered I would certainly buy these but I would do the 5 disc set instead of each individual since I do not have any of the "RAW" discs and I feel $75 is a fair price for the 5 titles. Just curious you stated in SD there are 10 discs so I take it there are 2 DVD's per title so with the availiable space on the BLU RAY will you include both discs that are on each title on 1 BLU RAY disc?

[robman]

I would certainly buy it because I am trying to add more movies to my blu-ray collection.

[robbalvey]

Just curious you stated in SD there are 10 discs so I take it there are 2 DVD's per title so with the availiable space on the BLU RAY will you include both discs that are on each title on 1 BLU RAY disc?

Yes. With the tests I did on Raw 1, I'm able to take both the woodie disc and steelie disc from the RAW DVDs and put them on 1 Blu-Ray and still have an image that is really, really close to the source quality. I'm able to render that video out at about 27,000 bit rate and I feel it's pretty noticeable, especially on a bigger screen comparing the DVD compression to Blu-Ray.

 

--Robb

[la2lvtom]

If and when they become availiable cosider me buyer #1